TheBlue
Mountains State Emergency Service Unit is one of 228 SES Units spread across NSW and is located in the SES Sydney Western
Region. With a membership of over 100 volunteers, it is responsible
for the management of storm and flood operations and the provision
of support to other emergency services in the Blue Mountains. Support
is frequently provided to adjoining SES Units in Sydney Western
Region to the east and Central West Region to the west. Occasionally
support is provided to other areas of the state.

The Blue Mountains Unit covers one of the largest municipal areas in the world. The Blue Mountains Local Government Area covers 1433 square kilometres on the Great Dividing Range in the west of the Greater Sydney Area. About 70% of the area is incorporated in the Blue Mountains National Park, parts of which are World Heritage listed.

The Blue Mountains is home to around 76,000 people who live in or in the vicinity of the 26 towns and villages that are located between 50 to 120km west of Sydney. In the Blue Mountains there are a number of factors that create difficulties in providing an emergency response service for residents. Some of the difficulties such as terrain and climate arise from the very attributes which make the area an attractive place to live and visit.